


You Know, THOSE Customers.

by BeeTeeDubya14



Series: Fun-Shots [4]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, F/F, F/M, Gen, M/M, coffee shop au number who knows, implied Roadrat - Freeform, implied anahardt - Freeform
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-20
Updated: 2018-12-20
Packaged: 2019-09-23 06:55:15
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 924
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17075504
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BeeTeeDubya14/pseuds/BeeTeeDubya14
Summary: If you've ever worked in the culinary business, you know about THOSE customers.If you've been offended or hurt by one, this one's for you.If you like Zarmei... this one's for you too!





	You Know, THOSE Customers.

Mei liked working at Horushardt, if she were to be honest.

Oh, the ecology major wasn’t intending to make a career out of serving coffee and whatnot, but she didn't hate the job, either. 

Her bosses, the Wilhelms, were a sweet old couple that allowed the local college students to study after work hours and even make their own coffee with the store supplies as long as they left enough to survive to the next shipment. Her coworkers Lena and Winston were awesome, too; long-time friends, they fit right in at a coffee shop with Lena’s speed and Winston’s surprisingly loud voice (he only used it when necessary).

There was only one thing that ruined the experience, if anything, and that was the occasional crazy customer. You might expect that there was a certain one that showed up everyday to ruin Mei’s day, but there wasn’t. There were a few regulars that fit the bill, but they weren’t bad, just… intriguing. 

Sometimes it was that crazy married couple Jamie and Mako (that was what they chose to be called last time, at least). Mei was fairly sure they had committed a criminal offense sometime in the past, but she never chose to ask. Other times it would be some of the Wilhelms’ other old colleagues that walked in. Torbjorn owned Ironclad Mechanics, the place that practically kept Overwatch’s machinery running when something stopped working. Jack and Gabriel were sort of workers too, but in truth the boyfriends of about 6 and a half years (you’d think they’d be married by now, but they didn't want to) worked at the nearby (and much fancier) restaurants Overwatch and Blackwatch as rivals. They worked part time as the “Commanders” of Ana’s “Running Reapers,” the ones who did delivery for Horushardt. 

As one could easily tell, Mei had met a fair share of people from all sorts of backgrounds and with all sorts of personalities through her time at Horushardt. 

None of them were like Zarya.

It was October 23rd - tomorrow would be the 5th anniversary of Zǔfù Gang’s passing. Mei had loved him, so she usually spent the entirety of that day mourning, and the day before was not much better. She felt good enough to go to work, and she didn’t have classes, so she decided to clock in today and take tomorrow off in exchange.

That may have been a bad idea, in retrospect. The place was packed when she started, with even the alacritous Lena feeling slightly overwhelmed. Some jerk at the counter was demanding that the other cashier (a young boy with prosthetics named Hammond) do the entire order over again, as it was not to his liking (even though they had done it twice already). When Mei stepped up to see what was going on, the jerk breathed a sigh of relief. 

“Finally, someone who might know what they’re doing! I want a…”

Mei groaned to herself. It was gonna be a long day. She took down the order, made it herself (and it  _ was _ done down to the letter). Mr. Jerk took one look at the order and almost immediately stuck his nose up, claiming it didn’t smell right.

“What?” Mei sputtered in shock, too tired and sad to deal with Mr. Jerk this early in the day. His peanut-sized brain must have taken it as a refusal to make the  _ exact same drink  _ for the  _ fourth _ time (not that he appeared to care), because he screamed at her to do what he asked or he’d call the management. Before he could, however, a loud thud echoed across the shop.

All eyes turned towards what may have been the most intimidating woman Mei had ever met at the time and a flipped table, complete with spilled coffee. Humongous muscles, a red shirt with a meme about something only being a game plastered on it… Mr. Jerk was in trouble. Her grip looked strong enough to crush his head if she could hold it (and she looked like she wanted to, with the livid look on her face).  _ If she hadn’t flipped over the table, _ Mei thought,  _ she probably would have broken it. _

“GOD-DAMNIT! ONE DAY OUT OF PRISON,” the woman roared, “AND ALREADY I MUST MURDER A  _ SVOLOCH _ IN A COFFEE STORE!”

Mr. Jerk took off in absolute fear, and Mei was sure he would never so much as step foot in Horushardt again. 

The heroine of Mei’s day smirked (CERTAINLY NOT MAKING HER BLUSH), then started walking towards her. Hitting the mental panic button, Mei backed up slightly. It was only a second or two later when she realized this woman was in front of her, and looking at the young lady with an somewhat reproachful and awkward smile on her face. A few beats passed, but eventually it was the pink-haired woman broke it.

“May I have a mop?” she asked.

Mei managed to sputter out a “W-what?” at this.

The other lady laughed. “I made this mess; I probably should clean it up, no?”

Mei managed to breathe a sigh of relief. The stranger wasn’t angry anymore, it seemed.

“Oh,” the stranger realized, “him. There will always be people like him. I never went to prison, though, but I suppose I do… what is the phrase… look the part?”

Alleviated, Mei laughed. She knew exactly who taught this woman that phrase. 

“I am Aleksandra,” the woman said, remembering to introduce herself, “but everyone calls me Zarya.”

Mei smiled, a faint and unnoticed blush on her cheeks.

“I’m Mei.”


End file.
